Presentation for the South Australian Science Teacher's Association conference at Brighton Secondary College on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th April, 2016.

1. “STEM activities in
middle years Science”
SASTA conference
18th and 19th April, 2015
Britt Gow, Hawkesdale P12 College

2. What is STEM?
• The acronym stands for Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics, but it is more
than the sum of its parts
• Not just a collection of content areas, but a
transdisciplinary approach that provides
authentic contexts for modern learning
• The focus is on developing skills such as
collaboration, critical thinking, creativity,
problem solving and effective communication

4. The STEM process
• Ask – Research, define the problem, what’s
the brief?
• Imagine – Generate ideas, brainstorm
• Plan – Choose a solution
• Create – Construct and develop a prototype
• Evaluate – test and troubleshoot
• Improve – Refine and adjust
• Communication - Results

5. STEM benefits
• Planning is a key skill
• Activities promote curiosity
• Creativity and innovation is valued
• Critical thinking and problem solving are
necessary to construct and improve
• Teamwork and collaboration are practised
• Communication of results is required
• Engagement in hands-on tasks
• Sometimes a competitive element

6. STEM activities
• STEM activities can range from very simple,
low-cost, low tech (for example, cardboard,
paper or plastic straw construction) to high-
tech gadgetry such as 3D printing, robotics
and drones.
• You don’t need a state-of-the-art MakerSpace
or expensive electronic equipment to start
making!

7. Low-tech challenges
• Inexpensive and easily available materials
• No electrical power required
• Individual or small group work
• Encourage the research and planning stage
by requiring a list of materials and a labelled
drawing
• Can be timed and competitive or unlimited
• Sharing on completion with a reflection and
evaluation is important

8. Geodesic sphere
• A geodesic structure is
strong, light and based
on triangles.
• Challenge students to
create a dome or
sphere using just plastic
straws.

9. Geodesic
Dome
Create a
frame that a
person can
fit inside,
using
newspaper.

10. Geodesic dome challenge

11. Tallest structure from playing cards
• Which team can
construct the tallest
structure using just
playing cards and no
tape, glue or other
fixings?
• The world record is 7.71
metres!
• https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=fgrJuW_u
KgI

12. Spaghetti marshmallow challenge
• How tall can you make
a tower from just
spaghetti and
marshmallows?
• Variations: Use
spaghetti and string to
support a marshmallow
at the highest point or
use skewers and
playdough

13. Paper chair for teddy
• Using only paper and
tape can you build a
chair that supports a
stuffed toy?

14. Paper aeroplane
• Using an A4 page, fold a
paper plane
• Decide what is the
‘best’ paper plane – is it
the one that flies the
furthest or the highest?
• Test and improve

15. Bridge Challenge
• How much weight can a
bridge bear?
• What is the span
length?
• There are four types of
bridge – beam, arch,
suspension and
cantilever.

16. Bridge Challenge
A bridge challenge can be suitable for a variety
of ages and take from 15 minutes to many days!
• Icy-pole sticks and glue (from 50 to unlimited)
• Straws and skewers
• Spaghetti and marshmallows
• Playing cards and tape
• Paper and string
• Require a fixed width and length

17. Float a boat
Construct vessels
from tinfoil,
straws, icy-pole
sticks and a plastic
bag - which can
hold the most
marbles?

18. Balloon car

19. Model Hovercraft
A working
hovercraft
made from a
CD, pop-top
bottle lid and
a balloon.
http://www.education.com/science-fair/article/DIY-Hovercraft/

20. Cartesian Diver
•Using a bottle of water, a
soy sauce ‘fish’ and a metal
washer, create this device
to demonstrate buoyancy
and pressure.
https://www.profbunsen.com.au/uploads/3/9/9/8/39983841/sushi_diver.pdf

21. Car launch
• How far can you get a
model car to travel
without pushing it or
applying external force?
• Use ramps and gravity
to launch your vehicle.
• Measurement, ordering
decimals, angles, forces

22. Marble maze
• Create a marble
maze using lego,
cardboard, straws,
icy-pole sticks or on
a pegboard with
wool.
• Measure the
distance travelled.

23. Marble Drop
• Design a maze for
marble or table-tennis
ball
• Can be attached to the
wall or free-standing
(constructed in a
cardboard box)

24. Pinball
machine
• Use cardboard, tubes,
CD’s, plastic cups and
tape to make a pinball
machine

25. Catapult capers!
Using icypole sticks,
rubber bands and a
hot glue gun, how
can you create a
catapult?
Which catapult has
the greatest
accuracy?
Which can launch an
object the furthest
distance?

26. Rube Goldberg
Machines
• Unnecessarily complex
devices that achieve
simple tasks, often
involving domino falls,
rolling balls, ramps,
tubes, levers and
wheels.

28. Level 3 and 4
Chemical Sciences:
• A change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by
adding or removing heat
• Natural and processed materials have a range of physical
properties; these properties can influence their use
Physical Sciences:
• Heat can be produced in many ways and can move from one
object to another; a change in the temperature of an object
is related to the gain or loss of heat by the object
Design and Technologies:
• Technologies contexts
• Creating Designed Solutions

29. Level 5 and 6
Chemical Sciences:
• Solids, liquids and gases behave in different ways and have
observable properties that help to classify them
• Changes to materials can be reversible, including melting,
freezing, evaporating, or irreversible, including burning and
rusting
Physical Sciences:
• Light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed,
reflected and refracted
Design and Technologies:
• Technologies contexts
• Creating Designed Solutions

30. Solar Cooker

31. Ice cube challenge
• Design a container to
keep an ice cube frozen
for the longest time.
• Temperature,
conduction, insulation.

32. Medium tech
• May include mobile electronic devices with
apps
• Simple circuits - Batteries, wires, globes
• Constructing inventions from basic
components

33. https://babbledabbledo.com/steam-project-tiny-dancers-homopolar-motor/
Tiny Dancers

34. Construct a torch
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cDmh9bJYhOMCNzdLNpI5N_3eIMPTwf9Tl2Ydl3KDysw/edit?usp=sharing

35. Create a Hologram
http://www.wired.com/2015/08/new-viral-craze-create-holograms-smartphone/

36. 3D Google Glasses – Virtual Reality

37. Wearable Tech
• Clothing and accessories with integrated
circuits
• FitBits, light-up shoes, GPS in AFL, smart
watches
• Smart helmets that monitor heart-rate etc
• Boxing gloves that track performance
• Backpacks with inbuilt solar panels
• LEDs and sensors on your fingernails

38. Robotics
• Kibo – early years
• BeeBots and BlueBots - primary
• Sphero – rolling robots
• Ozobots – tiny light-sensing robots
• Dash and Dot – programmable with drag-and-
drop coding

39. Makey-Makey

46. High Tech
• Requires more expensive investment in
ready-made technology
• Can be used to learn coding/programming
• 3D printing
• Robotics
• Drones

47. 3D printing
• Useful for custom design, such as prosthetics
and prototypes.
• Students can use programs such as Google
SketchUp to create their designs and then 3D
print them in plastic.
• “Moat Boat” is a challenge to make your
rubber-band powered boat travel the longest
distance.

49. Moat Boats
3D printed paddle
boats – how far can
a boat powered by a
rubber band travel?

55. ‘Sphero’ rolling
robots

56. Drones
● Can you
controla
drone?
● Direction,
distance,
cartesian co-
ordinates.